Block for constructing reinforced earth wall

ABSTRACT

A block for the construction of a reinforced soil segmental retaining wall. The block includes a front surface, a rear surface, left and right lateral surfaces, an upper surface having a pair of left and right reinforcement insertion grooves, and a lower surface opposite to the upper surface. A pair of anchor pin insertion bores are vertically perforated at left and right sides of the upper and lower surfaces so that anchor pins are inserted therethrough to connect vertically neighboring blocks. Also, a pair of through-passages are vertically perforated from the upper surface to the lower surface to be laterally spaced apart from each other by interposing a partition.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Applicant claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 from Korean ApplicationNo. 10-2005-0059542 filed on Jul. 4, 2005 and Korean Application No.10-2005-0084510 filed on Sep. 12, 2005.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a block for use in the construction ofa reinforced-soil segmental retaining wall, which has a plurality ofadvantages. First, the block enables convenient construction of thesegmental retaining wall by the use of equipment instead of aconventional ineffective labor-intensive manner. Second, the block hasno shear cracks even when it confronts uneven subsidence of ground.Third, the block allows a leading end of a reinforcement to be directlyconnected thereto without using a separate anchor. Fourth, a mono-layer,dual-layer, or multiple-layer blocks can be evenly stacked one upon theother and side-by-side in a staggered-stacking manner or in avertically-aligned stacking manner to achieve various retaining wallpatterns without causing an excessive gap between the adjacent blocks orwhile preventing the blocks from being individually protruded orrecessed from the exposed side of the retaining wall. Fifth, the blockallows for easy partial repair of damaged block(s) when the blocks areconstructed in a vertically-aligned stacking manner.

Various technologies in association with reinforced-soil segmentalretaining walls using blocks or panels and their combinations andmethods for constructing the retaining walls have been conventionallyknown in the art. However, the known conventional technologies have thefollowing several problems.

For example, to construct a conventional reinforced-soil segmentalretaining wall, a plurality of small blocks must be manually lifted oneby one and stacked one upon the other and side-by-side. This is a laborintensive undertaking that also results in ineffective slow constructionof the retaining wall. Moreover, when it is desired to construct theretaining wall within a short time, it requires an extensivemobilization of manpower, resulting in an excessive increase in laborcosts and other various problems.

Problems of a conventional panel-type reinforced-soil segmentalretaining wall are that the retaining wall does not allow the growth ofplants thereat and is less aesthetic as compared to the block-typeretaining wall, although the panel-type retaining wall can beconstructed much more quickly by the use of equipment with low laborrequirements. Thus, the panel-type retaining wall lacks harmony with thenatural environment.

To solve the above-described problems of both the conventionalblock-type and panel-type reinforced-soil segmental retaining wallswhile developing advantages of both the retaining walls, the applicantof the present invention had filed Korean Patent Application Nos.2004-37835, 2004-65998, 2004-81576, 2004-89152, and 2005-4044, whichdisclose reinforced-soil segmental retaining walls in which blockshaving a relatively large size are vertically stacked one upon theother, and also disclose the blocks for use in the construction of thesame and retaining wall construction methods using the same. The presentinvention is an improvement of the foregoing applications.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the aboveproblems, and it is a first object of the present invention to provide ablock for use in the construction of a reinforced-soil segmentalretaining wall, which enables convenient and rapid construction of thesegmental retaining wall by the use of equipment without causing variousproblems made by manual operations.

It is a second object of the present invention to provide a block foruse in the construction of a reinforced-soil segmental retaining wall,which can prevent the sliding of blocks upon uneven subsidence ofground, thereby preventing the generation of shear cracks and damage toL-shaped angled portions.

It is a third object of the present invention to provide a block for usein the construction of a reinforced-soil segmental retaining wall, whichcan allow a leading end of a reinforcement to be directly connected tothe block without using a separate anchor, thereby enabling thesimplified connection between the reinforcement and the retaining walland preventing the leading end of the reinforcement from relaxing andbeing exposed to the outside.

It is a fourth object of the present invention to provide a block foruse in the construction of a reinforced-soil segmental retaining wall,in which a mono-layer, dual-layer, or multiple-layered blocks can beevenly stacked one upon the other and side-by-side in astaggered-stacking manner or in a vertically-aligned stacking manner,thereby achieving various retaining wall patterns without causing anexcessive gap between the adjacent blocks or while preventing the blocksfrom being individually protruded or recessed from the exposed side ofthe retaining wall, and allowing for easy partial repair of damagedblock(s) when the blocks are constructed in a vertically-alignedstacking manner.

In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, the above andother objects can be accomplished by providing a block for constructinga reinforced soil segmental retaining wall, comprising: a front surfaceto form an exposed face of a retaining wall; and a rear surface to comeinto contact with reinforced soil backfill. The block can also includeleft and right lateral surfaces to come into at least partial contactwith neighboring blocks and an upper surface having a pair of left andright reinforcement insertion grooves for the insertion of areinforcement or reinforcement connection anchor. There can also be alower surface opposite to the upper surface, and a pair of left andright anchor pin insertion bores being vertically perforated from theupper surface to the lower surface at left and right ends of the upperand lower surfaces so that anchor pins are inserted through therespective anchor pin insertion bores to connect vertically neighboringblocks to each other. There can also be a pair of left and rightrectangular through-passages which are vertically perforated from theupper surface to the lower surface of the block so that, when blocks arestacked one upon the other in a staggered-stacking manner, the anchorpin, inserted through the left anchor pin insertion bore of a block, isinserted into the right through-passage of an underlying left block, andthe anchor pin, inserted through the right anchor pin insertion bore ofthe upper block, is inserted into the left through-passage of anunderlying right block. In this case, the left and right reinforcementinsertion grooves are located at opposite sides of the through-passagesso that the leading end of the reinforcement is directly fitted throughthe insertion grooves, wherein each of the reinforcement insertiongrooves have a trailing end ending at the rear surface of the block anda leading end ending at a front end of an associated one of thethrough-passages. An auxiliary reinforcement insertion groove may beformed at the upper surface of the block along a front end of apartition between the through-passages so that the reinforcement isfitted from one of the insertion grooves to the other insertion groove.In a fitted state, the middle portion of the reinforcement is located inthe auxiliary reinforcement insertion groove and the leading andtrailing ends of the reinforcement extend rearward from the rear surfaceof the block.

According to the present invention, as a result of forming a partitionbetween left and right through-passages, it is possible to reduce theweight of a block while achieving strong structural strength. Also,according to the present invention, a pair of anchor pin insertionbores, located at opposite sides of the through-passages, are aligned onan imaginary line that is extended from front ends of thethrough-passages. With this arrangement, when blocks are verticallystacked one upon the other in a staggered-stacking manner to form astraight or curved retaining wall, lower ends of anchor pins, which havebeen inserted through a block, can be inserted into the correspondingthrough-passages of underlying two blocks to be supported by the frontends of the through-passages. This effectively prevents the sliding ofblocks made by the earth pressure of the reinforced-soil backfill.

To allow a band-type reinforcement to be directly coupled to the blockwithout a separate anchor, reinforcement insertion grooves are formed atthe upper surface of the block to have a gentle radius of curvature, inorder to prevent the concentration of stress onto a particular location.

Furthermore, an upper surface of the block is partially dented at centerand left and right locations thereof to form external-force absorptionrecesses. When blocks are vertically stacked one upon the other in astaggered-stacking manner, the external-force absorption recesses serveto absorb horizontal displacement of the blocks to allow lower ends ofopposite lateral surfaces of an upper block to be inclined, therebypreventing a shear force of a block from being concentrated to ajunction of underlying two blocks when a constructed retaining wallconfronts uneven subsidence of ground. This has the effect of preventingthe center of the block from being broken by the shear force, and alsopreventing damage to lower corners of the upper block (i.e. L-shapedangled portions).

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparentfrom the following detailed description considered in connection withthe accompanying drawings. It should be understood, however, that thedrawings are designed for the purpose of illustration only and not as adefinition of the limits of the invention.

In the drawings, wherein similar reference characters denote similarelements throughout the several views:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view illustrating a block for use in theconstruction of a retaining wall in accordance with a first embodimentof the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view illustrating the retaining wall blockin accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a plan view illustrating the retaining wall block inaccordance with the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a bottom view illustrating the retaining wall block inaccordance with the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a plan view illustrating a straight retaining wall constructedby the use of the block in accordance with the first embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 6 is a plan view illustrating a curved convex retaining wallconstructed by the use of the block in accordance with the firstembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a plan view illustrating a curved concave retaining wallconstructed by the use of the block in accordance with the firstembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a plan view illustrating a junction of straight and curvedsections of a retaining wall constructed by the use of the block inaccordance with the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a front perspective view illustrating the staggered-stackingconstruction of dual-layer type retaining wall blocks, circleillustrating the important part of the block in enlarged scale;

FIG. 10 is a rear perspective view illustrating the retaining wall ofFIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a front view illustrating the retaining wall which isconstructed in a staggered-stacking manner by the use of the dual-layerblocks;

FIG. 12 is a side sectional view illustrating the retaining wall of FIG.11;

FIG. 13 is a rear perspective view illustrating the staggered-stackingconstruction of mono-layer type retaining wall blocks;

FIG. 14 is a front view illustrating the retaining wall which isconstructed in a staggered-stacking manner by the use of the mono-layerblocks;

FIG. 15 is a side sectional view illustrating the retaining wall of FIG.14;

FIG. 16 is a front perspective view illustrating the retaining wallwhich is constructed in a vertically-aligned stacking manner;

FIG. 17 is a side sectional view illustrating the retaining wall of FIG.16;

FIG. 18 is a perspective view illustrating the partial repair of aretaining wall;

FIG. 19 is a front perspective view illustrating a block for use in theconstruction of a retaining wall in accordance with a second embodimentof the present invention;

FIG. 20 is a rear perspective view illustrating the retaining wall blockin accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 21 is a plan view illustrating the retaining wall block inaccordance with the second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 22 is a bottom view illustrating the retaining wall block inaccordance with the second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 23 is a plan view illustrating a straight retaining wallconstructed by the use of the block in accordance with the secondembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 24 is a plan view illustrating a curved convex retaining wallconstructed by the use of the block in accordance with the secondembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 25 is a plan view illustrating a curved concave retaining wallconstructed by the use of the block in accordance with the secondembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 26 is a plan view illustrating a junction of straight and curvedsections of a retaining wall constructed by the use of the block inaccordance with the second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 27 is a front perspective view illustrating the staggered-stackingconstruction of dual-layer type retaining wall blocks, circleillustrating the important part of the block in enlarged scale;

FIG. 28 is a rear perspective view illustrating the retaining wall ofFIG. 27;

FIG. 29 is a front view illustrating the retaining wall which isconstructed in a staggered-stacking manner by the use of the dual-layerblocks;

FIG. 30 is a side sectional view illustrating the retaining wall of FIG.29;

FIG. 31 is a rear perspective view illustrating the staggered-stackingconstruction of mono-layer type retaining wall blocks;

FIG. 32 is a front view illustrating the retaining wall which isconstructed in a staggered-stacking manner by the use of the mono-layerblocks;

FIG. 33 is a side sectional view illustrating the retaining wall of FIG.32;

FIG. 34 is a front perspective view illustrating the retaining wallwhich is constructed in a vertically-aligned stacking manner;

FIG. 35 is a side sectional view illustrating the retaining wall of FIG.34; and

FIG. 36 is a perspective view illustrating the partial repair of aretaining wall.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Now, preferred exemplary embodiments of the present invention, which arenot intended to limit the scope of the present invention, will beexplained in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIGS. 1 to 18 illustrate a block and a retaining wall constructed by theuse of the block in accordance with a first embodiment of the presentinvention.

First, referring to FIGS. 1 to 4, the block for use in the constructionof the retaining wall in accordance with the first embodiment of thepresent invention is illustrated. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the block Bof the present embodiment includes: a front surface 10 to form anexposed face of a retaining wall; a rear surface 20 to come into contactwith reinforced soil backfill; left and right lateral surfaces 30 and30′ to come into partial contact with neighboring blocks; an uppersurface 40 having a pair of left and right reinforcement insertiongrooves 44 for the insertion of a reinforcement or reinforcementconnection anchor; and a lower surface 50 opposite to the upper surface40. A pair of left and right anchor pin insertion bores h are verticallyperforated from the upper surface 40 to the lower surface 50 at left andright ends of the upper and lower surfaces 40 and 50. An anchor pin P isinserted through a respective one of the anchor pin insertion bores h toconnect vertically neighboring blocks to each other. A pair of left andright rectangular through-passages 60 are vertically perforated from theupper surface 40 to the lower surface 50 of the block B so that they arelaterally spaced apart from each other by interposing a partition 62.When blocks are stacked one upon the other in a staggered-stackingmanner, the anchor pin P, inserted through the left anchor pin insertionbore h of a block, is inserted into the right through-passage 60 of anunderlying left block, and the anchor pin P, inserted through the rightanchor pin insertion bore h of the upper block, is inserted into theleft through-passage 60 of an underlying right block. The left and rightreinforcement insertion grooves 44 are located at opposite sides of thethrough-passages 60 so that the leading end of a reinforcement 80 isdirectly fitted through the insertion grooves 44. Each of thereinforcement insertion grooves 44 has a trailing end ending at the rearsurface 20 of the block B and a leading end ending at a front end of anassociated one of the through-passages 60. An auxiliary reinforcementinsertion groove 44′ is formed at the upper surface 40 of the block Balong a front end of the partition 62 between the through-passages 60.With this configuration, the single reinforcement 80 is fitted from oneof the insertion grooves 44 to the other insertion groove 44 so that themiddle portion of the reinforcement 80 is fitted in the auxiliaryreinforcement insertion groove 44′. After being completely fitted, theleading and trailing ends of the reinforcement 80 extend rearward fromthe rear surface 20 of the block B.

In the block B of the present embodiment, the front surface 10 forms aforwardly protruding rectangular face of the block B, and is split tohave the texture of natural stone. A pair of curved surfaces 12 and 12′are formed between the protruding front surface 10 and both the lateralsurfaces 30 and 30′. The curved surfaces 12 and 12′ have elongatedvertical slots 12 a and 12 a′, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 3, the left and right anchor pin insertion bores hformed at the upper surface 40 of the block B according to the presentembodiment are generally located close to the center of the width of theblock B, to facilitate the coupling of blocks which are stacked one uponthe other in a staggered-stacking manner. Thereby, the anchor pininsertion bores h are aligned on an imaginary line L that is extendedfrom the front ends 61 of the through-passages 60. With thisarrangement, when blocks are vertically stacked one upon the other in astaggered-stacking manner to form a straight or curved retaining wall,lower ends of the anchor pins P, which have been inserted through ablock, can be inserted into the corresponding through-passages 60 ofunderlying two blocks to be supported by the front ends 61 of thethrough-passages 60. This effectively prevents the sliding of blocksmade by the earth pressure of the reinforced-soil backfill.

The above-described anchor pin supporting structure can effectivelyprevent the upper block from being pushed forward and falling downwardwhen blocks are stacked one upon the other without any supportingstructure behind thereof.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrating the block B in plan view andbottom view, and FIG. 12 illustrating the constructed retaining wall insectional view, each of the anchor pin insertion bores h includes: anupper expanded portion h1, a lower reduced portion h2, and anintermediate tapered portion h3. This configuration allows for easyinsertion of the anchor pin P while effectively preventing the fallingthereof, and restricts sliding and overturning of blocks.

As shown in FIG. 12, when blocks are stacked one upon the other, theanchor pin P, which is inserted through the anchor pin insertion bore hof a block, is located close to the front end 61 of the through-passage60 of an underlying block. Also, the fabric reinforcement 80, which isfitted through the reinforcement insertion grooves 44 and 44′ of theunderlying block, is located in front of the anchor pin P inside thethrough-passage 60 of the underlying block. Thus, the fabricreinforcement 80 is connected to both the reinforcement insertiongrooves 44 and 44′ of the underlying block as well as the anchor pin Pof the upper block. This eliminates the need to mount the reinforcement80 to every block, and consequently, can minimize the consumption offabric reinforcements within a permitted design limit.

As stated above, the left and right reinforcement insertion grooves 44of the block B according to the present embodiment extend forward fromthe rear surface 20 of the block B to the center of the block B bypassing through the through-passages 60, while drawing a gentle curve.The left and right reinforcement insertion grooves 44 are connected withthe intermediate auxiliary reinforcement insertion groove 44′ formed atthe partition 62 to have a U-shaped reinforcement insertion groove. Theleading end of the reinforcement 80 is fitted into the U-shapedinsertion groove after being folded once to have a width half of theoriginal width of the reinforcement 80. The reinforcement insertiongrooves 44 and 44′ of the block B continuously maintain thereinforcement 80, fitted thereinto, in the folded state. This preventsthe relaxation of the reinforcement 80 and also prevents thereinforcement 80 from being exposed from above or in front of the blockB, allowing for effective stacking of blocks.

The upper surface 40 of the block B is partially dented at center andleft and right locations thereof to form external-force absorptionrecesses 46, 48 and 48′. When blocks are vertically stacked one upon theother in a staggered-stacking manner, the external-force absorptionrecesses 46, 48 and 48′ serve to prevent a shear force of a block frombeing concentrated to a junction of underlying two blocks when aconstructed retaining wall confronts uneven subsidence of ground and toprevent damage to L-shaped angled portions at a lower surface of theupper block.

In particular, the external-force absorption recess 46, which is formedat the center of the upper surface 40, is opened to the outside from therear surface 20 of the block B, to form a gap between vertically stackedblocks. When a lever is inserted into the external-force absorptionrecess 46, the seating position of the upper block can be delicatelyadjusted by maneuvering the lever.

The external-force absorption recess 46 is centrally formed with asupporting protrusion 42 at the rear side thereof so that the supportingprotrusion 42 is leveled with the upper surface 40 of the block B. Whenblocks are stacked one upon the other to construct a straight or curvedretaining wall, the supporting protrusion 42 of a block is located so asnot to come into contact with a lower surface of an overlying block.This allows for vertically stacked blocks to be maintained much morestably when dual-layer retaining wall blocks are stacked in avertically-aligned stacking or staggered-stacking manner.

In the first embodiment of the present invention, a pair of inclinedsurfaces 22 and 22′ are provided between the rear surface 20 and boththe lateral surfaces 30 and 30′ of the block B. The inclined surfaces 22and 22′ are symmetrical to the curved surfaces 12 and 12′. Thus, theblock B of the present invention has a boat shaped cross section havingtapered stem and stern.

As stated above, the front surface 10 of the block B forms a forwardlyprotruding rectangular face of the block B, and is at least partiallysplit to have the texture of natural stone. Thus, a retaining wallconstructed by the use of this kind of blocks looks as if it is made ofnatural stone, thereby not having the bleak feeling of a concreteretaining wall.

Now, a method for constructing a retaining wall by the use of the blockhaving the above described configuration will be explained.

FIGS. 5 to 8 illustrate the staggered-stacking of upper and lower blocksand the coupling of anchor pins and reinforcements in detail.

When blocks are stacked one upon the other in a staggered-stackingmanner to construct a straight retaining wall, as shown in FIG. 5, anupper block B2 is substantially vertically stacked on the center of twolower blocks B1. In this case, the anchor pins P, which are insertedthrough the left and right anchor pin insertion bores P of the upperblock B2, are inserted into the right through-passage 60 of the lowerleft block B1 and the left through-passage 60 of the lower right blockB1, respectively, to prevent forward sliding of the upper block B2relative to the lower blocks B1.

The lower ends of the anchor pins P, inserted through the upper blockB2, are located close to the front ends 61 of the correspondingthrough-passages 60 of the lower blocks B1. Also, the half-foldedreinforcement 80, fitted through the reinforcement insertion grooves 44and 44′ of the lower blocks B1, is located in front of the anchor pinsP. As a result, the anchor pins P substantially come into close contactwith the front ends 61 of the through-passages 60 of the lower blocksB1, thereby preventing the forward sliding and overturning of the upperblock B2.

As stated above, although the reinforcement 80 is kept in a half-foldedin the reinforcement insertion grooves 44 and 44′, the leading andtrailing ends of the reinforcement 80, extending rearward from the lowerblocks B1, are unfolded. Thus, the reinforcement 80 can be embedded intothe reinforced soil backfill after recovering their original width.

When blocks are stacked one upon the other in a staggered-stackingmanner to construct a curved convex retaining wall, as shown in FIG. 6,the two lower blocks B1 are arranged to draw a curve, and the upperblock B2 is staggered to the lower blocks B1. In this case, the anchorpins P of the upper block B2 are inserted into the correspondingthrough-passages 60 of the lower blocks B1 so that they are slightlymoved inward to the center of the respective lower blocks B1 as comparedto the straight retaining wall. Such a movement of the anchor pins Peffectively prevents the generation of an excessive gap between adjacentblocks, and allows the upper block B2 to be evenly aligned with thelower blocks B2 without being individually protruded or recessed, evenfor different radii of curvature of the convex retaining wall.

Also, when blocks are stacked one upon the other in a staggered-stackingmanner to construct a curved concave retaining wall, as shown in FIG. 7,the anchor pins P of the upper block B2 are inserted into thecorresponding through-passages 60 of the lower blocks B1 so that theyare slightly moved outward away from the center of the respective lowerblocks B1 as compared to the straight retaining wall. Such a movement ofthe anchor pins P effectively prevents the generation of an excessivegap between adjacent blocks, and allows the upper block B2 to be evenlyaligned with the lower blocks B2 without being individually protruded orrecessed, even for different radii of curvature of the convex retainingwall.

Referring to FIG. 8, at a junction of straight and curved sections of aretaining wall, similarly, the anchor pins P of the upper block B2 canmove leftward or rightward in the corresponding through-passages 60 ofthe lower blocks B1. Thus, there is no generation of an excessive gapbetween adjacent blocks and the adjacent blocks can construct an evenretaining wall having an aesthetically pleasing appearance.

FIGS. 9 to 12 illustrate the staggered-stacking construction ofdual-layer type retaining wall blocks, which is suitable to construct avisually grand retaining wall. In this kind of construction, two or fourblocks are lifted at a time by use of equipment, achieving highconstruction efficiency,

Now, a construction method for stacking dual-layer type retaining wallblocks in a staggered-stacking manner will be explained. The dual-layertype retaining wall block takes the form of a block unit U formed byvertically overlapping two blocks and integrating the overlapped blocksby the use of the anchor pins P. Thereby, two blocks are transported andlifted at a time by use of a crane. The construction method comprisesthe steps of: vertically stacking at least two blocks one upon the otherand integrating them by use of the anchor pins P to primarily form aplurality of block units U; lifting the block units U one by one toarrange the plurality of block units U on a concrete foundation C toform a first lower course of the block units U; placing thereinforced-soil backfill 70 behind the first lower course of the blockunits U; connecting the reinforcements 80 to the respective block unitsU to be placed on the reinforced-soil backfill 70 and then, compactingthe reinforced-soil backfill 70; again stacking at least two blocks oneupon the other and integrating them by use of the anchor pins P tosecondarily form a plurality of block units U; stacking the secondarilyformed block units U on the first lower course of the block units U sothat the second upper course of the block units U are staggered to thefirst lower course of the block units U; placing the reinforced-soilbackfill 70 behind the second upper course of the block units U; andconnecting the reinforcements 80 to the respective block units U to beplaced on the reinforced-soil backfill 70 and then, compacting thereinforced-soil backfill 70. In accordance with the height of a desiredretaining wall, the above described method can be repeatedly performedto form additional courses of the block units U.

In the construction method as shown in FIGS. 9 to 12, a drainage filter100, made of non-woven fabric, is mounted behind a respective course ofthe block units U. The non-woven fabric drainage filter 100 serves todrain water contained in the reinforced soil backfill 70 via the frontside of a retaining wall while preventing movement of the reinforcedsoil backfill 70 to the front side of the retaining wall.

The reinforcements, which are embedded in the reinforced soil backfillalong with the block units, is a band type fabric reinforcement having arelatively narrow width (approximately 40 to 50 mm). The Korean PatentApplication Nos. 2004-29493 and 2004-111929, filed by the applicant ofthe present invention, disclose a detailed shape of the fabricreinforcement and a method for connecting the fabric reinforcement to ablock, which are employed in the present invention. The disclosed bandtype fabric reinforcement is designed to be directly connected to ablock without using a separate anchor, differently from conventionalreinforcements. As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the band type fabricreinforcement 80 is inserted through the reinforcement insertion grooves44 and 44′ formed at the upper surface of the block unit U, so that theleading and trailing ends of the reinforcement 80 extend rearward fromthe block unit U to be placed on the reinforced soil backfill 70 by arelatively long length. Subsequently, an overlying course of the blockunits U are staggered onto the reinforcements 80.

The reinforcements 80 may be continuously connected to each other in azigzag pattern as shown in the drawings, or may be independentlyconnected to every block units U.

Of course, the block of the first embodiment can be used to constructvarious curved retaining walls having different radii of curvature aswell as the straight retaining wall as shown in FIGS. 9 to 12.

FIGS. 13 to 15 illustrate the staggered-stacking construction ofmono-layer type retaining wall blocks into multiple courses of theblocks B1 to B4. This kind of construction is well known in the art, andthus, no detailed description thereof is given.

Also, the coupling of the anchor pins and the installation of thereinforcements in the staggered-stacking construction of mono-layer typeretaining wall blocks as shown in FIGS. 13 to 15 are identical to thoseof FIGS. 9 to 12, and thus, no detailed description thereof is given.

FIGS. 16 and 17 illustrate the retaining wall which is constructed in avertically-aligned stacking manner. FIG. 18 is a front perspective viewillustrating the partial repair of the retaining wall of FIG. 16.

As shown in FIGS. 16 and 17, the retaining wall constructed in avertically-aligned stacking manner has no interference betweenhorizontally neighboring blocks when the retaining wall confronts unevensubsidence of ground. Thus, the retaining wall is free from shear ofblocks or distortion at the surface of the retaining wall, and can berepaired when part thereof is damaged by an external force. For example,when the block B3 of the retaining wall is damaged as shown in FIG. 18,blocks B4 above the damaged block B3 on the same column are separatedone by one to remove the damaged block B3, and after that, new blocksare successively stacked to fill the column. This repair work can beperformed without touching adjacent blocks and the reinforced soilbackfill, resulting in a reduction in labor costs and repair time.

In the vertically-aligned stacking construction of blocks as shown inFIGS. 16 and 17, since the anchor pins P of a block are inserted intothe pin insertion bores h of an underlying block differently from theabove described staggered-stacking construction manners, the damagedblock can be replaced by a new one without interference with adjacentblocks.

FIGS. 19 to 22 illustrate a block for use in the construction of aretaining wall in accordance with a second embodiment of the presentinvention. The block of the present embodiment has the substantiallysame structure as that of the first embodiment except for an outerappearance thereof. Now, the block of the present embodiment will beexplained schematically.

Similar to the first embodiment, the block of the present embodimentincludes: the front surface 10 to form an exposed face of a retainingwall; the rear surface 20 to come into contact with the reinforced soilbackfill; the left and right lateral surfaces 30 and 30′ to come intopartial contact with neighboring blocks; the upper surface 40 having thepair of left and right reinforcement insertion grooves 44 for theinsertion of a reinforcement or reinforcement connection anchor; and thelower surface 50 opposite to the upper surface 40. The pair of left andright anchor pin insertion bores h are vertically perforated from theupper surface 40 to the lower surface 50 at left and right ends of theupper and lower surfaces 40 and 50. The anchor pin P is inserted througha respective one of the anchor pin insertion bores h to connectvertically neighboring blocks to each other. The pair of left and rightrectangular through-passages 60 are vertically perforated from the uppersurface 40 to the lower surface 50 of the block so that they arelaterally spaced apart from each other by interposing the partition 62.When blocks are stacked one upon the other in a staggered-stackingmanner, the anchor pin P, inserted through the left anchor pin insertionbore h of a block, is inserted into the right through-passage 60 of anunderlying left block, and the anchor pin P, inserted through the rightanchor pin insertion bore h of the upper block, is inserted into theleft through-passage 60 of an underlying right block. The left and rightreinforcement insertion grooves 44 are located at opposite ends of thethrough-passages 60 so that the leading end of the reinforcement 80 isdirectly fitted through the insertion grooves 44. Each of thereinforcement insertion grooves 44 has the trailing end ending at therear surface 20 of the block and the leading end ending at a front endof an associated one of the through-passages 60. The auxiliaryreinforcement insertion groove 44′ is formed at the upper surface 40 ofthe block along the front end of the partition 62 between thethrough-passages 60. With this configuration, the single reinforcement80 is fitted from one of the insertion grooves 44 to the other insertiongroove 44 so that the middle portion of the reinforcement 80 is fittedin the auxiliary reinforcement insertion groove 44′. After beingcompletely fitted, the leading and trailing ends of the reinforcement 80extend rearward from the rear surface 20 of the block B.

According to the present embodiment, a pair of laterally protrudingwings 34 and 34′ are formed at rear ends of both the lateral surfaces 30and 30′ of the block. The wings 34 and 34′ have cutting slots 35 and 35′formed at their rear corners connected to the rear surface 20 of theblock, respectively. Thereby, when blocks are stacked one upon the otherto construct a curved convex retaining wall, as shown in FIG. 24, thewings 34 and 34′ can be cut away along the cutting slots 35 and 35′ sothat the lateral surfaces 30 and 30′ of horizontally neighboring blockscome into close contact with each other.

The block of the present embodiment further includes a pair of secondthrough-passages 60′, which are symmetrically formed at opposite rearlocations, to reduce the weight of the block.

FIGS. 23 to 26 are views corresponding to FIGS. 5 to 8 of theabove-described first embodiment. As will be easily understood fromFIGS. 23 to 26, similar to the first embodiment, the block of the secondembodiment can be evenly stacked to form a straight retaining wall orcurved convex or concave retaining wall without causing an excessive gapbetween adjacent blocks or between straight and curves sections of theretaining wall while preventing the blocks from being individuallyprotruded or recessed. Thus, no detailed description thereof is given.

FIGS. 27 to 30 are views illustrating the staggered-stackingconstruction of dual-layer type retaining wall blocks in accordance withthe second embodiment of the present invention as shown in FIGS. 19 to22. FIGS. 31 to 33 are views illustrating the staggered-stackingconstruction of mono-layer type retaining wall blocks in accordance withthe second embodiment of the present invention. These drawings show thatthe block of the second embodiment can take the form of a mono-layer ordual-layer block unit and can be vertically staggered in the same manneras the block of the first embodiment.

FIGS. 34 and 35 illustrate the retaining wall which is constructed in avertically-aligned stacking manner by the use of the block in accordancewith the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 36 is a viewillustrating the partial repair of the retaining wall shown in FIG. 34.These drawings show that the block of the present embodiment enablesblocks to be vertically aligned and be partially repaired in the samemanner as the block of the first embodiment.

The block in accordance with the second embodiment of the presentinvention are identical to that of the first embodiment in the couplingof vertically neighboring blocks by the use of the anchor pins and theconnecting structure and method of the reinforcements except for theouter appearance thereof, and thus, no detailed description thereof isgiven.

As apparent from the above description, the present invention provides ablock for use in the construction of a retaining wall having thefollowing several advantages.

First, the block of the present invention can be stacked in a convenientmanner by the use of equipment instead of a labor-intensive manner,thereby resulting in a considerable reduction in extensive mobilizationof manpower.

Second, since a mono-layer, dual-layer, or multiple-layer blocks can beevenly stacked one upon the other and side-by-side in astaggered-stacking manner or in a vertically-aligned stacking manner, itis possible to achieve various retaining wall patterns.

Third, since a reinforcement can be stably maintained in insertiongrooves formed at the block in a half-folded state, it is possible toprevent the reinforcement from protruding from above or in front of theblock or from being relaxed. This completely eliminates the swell of theretaining wall, enabling the construction of high-quality retainingwalls.

Fourth, when blocks are stacked to be vertically aligned, the blockexhibits high resistance against uneven subsidence of ground, and allowsfor easy partial repair of damaged block(s) without interference withadjacent blocks and reinforced soil backfill behind thereof.

Fifth, according to the present invention, in association with theconstruction of a straight or curved retaining wall, it is possible toprevent the generation of an excessive gap between vertically orhorizontally adjacent blocks and to prevent the blocks from beingindividually protruded or recessed from the exposed side of theretaining wall, thereby enabling the construction of a visually stableretaining wall.

Sixth, anchor pins, inserted through a block, are adapted to come intoclose contact with front ends of through-passages of underlying blocks.This has the effect of preventing the sliding or overturning of theblocks made by the earth pressure of reinforced-soil backfill aftercompleting the construction of the retaining wall. Also, the presentinvention has the effect of continuously maintaining the blocks in amuch more stable state during construction. Thus, the block of thepresent invention is completely free from safety accidents.

Accordingly, while a few embodiments of the present invention have beenshown and described, it is to be understood that many changes andmodifications may be made thereunto without departing from the spiritand scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

1. A block for constructing a reinforced segmented retaining wall havingreinforcements and anchor pins, the block comprising: a) a front surfaceto form an exposed face of a retaining wall; b) a rear surface to comeinto contact with reinforced soil backfill; c) a first lateral surface;d) a second lateral surface; e) an upper surface; f) a lower surfaceopposite said upper surface; g) a plurality of anchor pin insertionbores being perforated from said upper surface to said lower surface sothat an anchor pin can be inserted through at least one of said anchorpin insertion bores to connect a plurality of blocks together; h) aplurality of through-passages which are perforated from said uppersurface to said lower surface so that when said blocks are stacked oneon top of the other in a staggered manner, an anchor pin can be insertedthrough an insertion bore in an upper block and then inserted into athrough passage in a lower staggered block, while an anchor pin which isinserted into an opposite insertion bore extends through anotherthrough-passage of an underlying second block adjacent to said firstunderlying block; and i) a plurality of reinforcement insertion groovesthat are disposed on opposite sides of said through passages on saidupper surface, said plurality of insertion grooves being adapted toreceive a reinforcement, wherein said plurality of reinforcementinsertion grooves have a trailing end at a rear surface of the block anda leading end at a front end of an associated one of said plurality ofthrough-passages.
 2. The block as in claim 1, further comprising: atleast one partition wherein said plurality of through-passages arespaced apart from each other on either side of said at least onepartition; a reinforcement insertion groove formed at an upper surfaceof said block along a front end of said partition between said pluralityof through-passages; a reinforcement which is coupled to said block. 3.The block as in claim 1, wherein said upper surface of said block has aforce absorption recess formed from plurality of partial dents.
 4. Theblock as in claim 3, wherein said force absorption recess is formed in acenter region of said upper surface.
 5. The block as in claim 4, whereinsaid force absorption recess further comprises a supporting protrusiondisposed in a center region of said upper surface of said block, whereinsaid supporting protrusion is located so as to not contact a lowersurface of an overlying block when said blocks are stacked one on top ofthe other to construct a straight or curved retaining wall.
 6. The blockas in claim 1, wherein each anchor pin insertion bore includes: a firstexpanded portion having a relatively larger diameter; and a secondreduced portion having a relatively smaller diameter relative to saidfirst expanded portion.
 7. The block as in claim 1, wherein each anchorpin insertion bore further comprises a tapered portion which is disposedbetween said first expanded portion and said second reduced portion. 8.The block as in claim 1, wherein said plurality of insertion groovesextend forward from a rear surface of said block to a center region ofsaid block by passing through said through-passages while extending in acurved manner.
 9. The block as in claim 1, further comprising aplurality of laterally protruding wings which are formed at rear ends ofsaid lateral surfaces of the block, wherein said wings have cuttingslots formed at rear corners of said block and are coupled to a rearsurface of said block.
 10. An assembly forming a retaining wallcomprising: a) a plurality of blocks, wherein each block comprises: i) afront surface to form an exposed face of a retaining wall; ii) a rearsurface to come into contact with reinforced soil backfill; iii) a firstlateral surface; iv) a second lateral surface; v) an upper surfacehaving a pair of insertion grooves for the insertion of a reinforcement;vi) a lower surface opposite said upper surface; vii) a plurality ofanchor pin insertion bores being perforated from said upper surface tosaid lower surface; viii) a plurality of through-passages which areperforated from said upper surface to said lower surface; and ix) aplurality of reinforcement insertion grooves that are disposed onopposite sides of said through passages; b) a plurality of anchor pinswherein when said blocks are stacked one on top of the other in astaggered manner, at least one anchor pin is coupled to at least two ofthe blocks through an insertion bore in an upper block and thenextending into a through-passage in a lower staggered block, while atleast one additional anchor pin is inserted into an opposite insertionbore extends through another through-passage of an underlying secondblock adjacent to said first underlying block; and c) at least onereinforcement wherein said plurality of insertion grooves are adapted toreceive said reinforcement, wherein said plurality of reinforcementinsertion grooves have a trailing end at a rear surface of the block anda leading end at a front end of an associated one of said plurality ofthrough-passages.